Moonlight
by WrittenSword
Summary: Being queen isn't easy and Aurora misses Maleficent. Adult!Aurora/Maleficent. Post-movie. This is mild femslash. Don't like, don't read.


_**A/N:** This is the first time I have written for a different fandom. It was posted in three short installments on tumblr. I'm still trying to find my way around Fae lore and the depth of these two characters, so this is just a first experimental venture into the world of Maleficent. I am still working on finishing TWQF! I just got mildly distracted by this new movie and its magnificent pairing. ^_^_

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**I.**

With a deep sigh Queen Aurora attempted to shake off the heaviness of her day as she stepped into her bedchamber. She knew she had to be a dedicated ruler in order to preserve peace and bring prosperity to her lands, but she had long grown tired of the endless tutoring and council meetings.

She missed the days of her childhood where she had been free from the weight of two kingdoms resting on her shoulders. Several years had passed since her coronation, and although she had quickly grown in her role as queen and had eagerly learned how to right many of the wrongs committed by her late father, the former human king, she sometimes longed to return to the carefree life of her past.

A mild evening breeze flowed from the opened balcony doors, and lured by the knowledge of what lay beyond, Aurora walked through the tall curtains and out into the night.

As they always did, Aurora's eyes quickly moved to the horizon where they focused on the Moorland forest, its sea of gently swaying tree tops illuminated by moonlight. The familiar sight settled warmly inside her chest and she felt some of the tension in her shoulders recede. Even after five years of mostly living in the castle Aurora still felt like a visitor within its walls, for there remained a burning in her heart; a constant feeling of longing.

Her gaze found the cliff at the edge of the Moors where she knew there stood a Rowan tree, even if she could not see it from this distance. And on its strongest branch a certain fairy might recline in half-sleep and perhaps glance back at the castle. Or so the young queen liked to believe.

Biting her bottom lip, Aurora squinted at the darkness and imagined those bright, golden eyes staring straight back at her. She could almost feel the protective gaze that had followed her all her life still watching over her now, and although she did not quite understand why, it made her want to cry.

Aurora hadn't been to the Moors to see Maleficent in almost three weeks, when usually she tried to let no more than one week pass between visits.

She had been crowned ruler of both the Moors and the kingdom left to her by her tyrant father. The moorland folk, however, did not need their queen in quite the same way the humans did. And so, spending time with the fairies was the happy exception to Aurora's new life of diplomacy, trades and treaties.

She was aware that her actions had greatly benefited both the Moors and the human kingdom, as there now was peace between the two lands. One of the first decisions she had made as queen, was to lift the ban her father had placed on spinning wheels, and within a year the renewed sheep and wool trade had brought new prosperity to her people and strengthened the trust in their queen.

The extensive arsenal of her father's army had also been reduced at her command. Much of the iron had been smelted back into farming tools, and many young soldiers had returned to their family's farms. Furthermore, Aurora had ordered the iron mines to be closed down, which in turn had greatly pleased the moorland creatures, as it allowed the lands between the castle and the Moors to heal from the impact of the former king's cruel exploitation.

Aurora knew the importance of her decisions as queen. She had taken on the responsibility willingly, for she had seen no other way to protect those she held dear. Nevertheless, she increasingly experienced a growing desire to leave it all behind. As childish as it perhaps sounded, she wished to simply be with the woman who meant the world to her and live at the Moors together for good.

Eyes still locked with where she pictured the Rowan Tree beneath the stars, Aurora wiped at her tears.

"Maleficent…," she whispered into the night wind.

For many years the older woman had simply been a "Fairy Godmother" to her. It was a title young Aurora had picked quite naturally, oblivious to the sad irony of Maleficent actually having cursed her when she had only been a baby. There had been so many things Aurora had not known then, until on her sixteenth birthday the harsh truth had suddenly caught up with her.

It was then she had learned that instead of a peasant girl who was free to roam the fields and forests of the human and the fairy lands, she was in fact a princess, destined to fall into an endless sleep, cursed in revenge thanks to her own father's hatred and greed.

When a regretful Maleficent had succeeded in revoking her curse the same night, a battle had ensued that had cost the kingdom its king and Aurora a father she had never known. The details were still a little hazy, for neither her nor Maleficent enjoyed speaking of it, but as a result of that night Aurora had inherited a kingdom, and Maleficent had been reunited with her wings and her freedom.

Aurora smiled as she thought of the fairy. Despite all of her new duties as queen, and Maleficent's own reinstatement as the Protector of the Moors, the two of them had grown ever closer during the past five years. Their bond seemed unbreakable, and as much as Aurora reveled in their deep friendship, her heart grew heavier with every moment they spent apart, and she missed Maleficent terribly.

She closed her eyes and tilted her head to face the soft breeze, inhaling deeply, and breathing in the trace scents brought from the Moors. Oh how she wished she could ride out to the Rowan tree and crawl under Maleficent's wings for a good night's rest. But Prince Phillip was to arrive in the morning, and she had to be in attendance to welcome his delegation.

After the fairy folk had crowned her their queen as well, the royal court back at the castle had accepted her secondary rule over the Moors. And although the human nobility did tolerate her frequent excursions to see after her fairy subjects, Aurora was certain her absence from the castle in the morning would further jeopardise her friendship with Prince Phillip.

There it was again, the anxious knot in the base of her stomach. Aurora pressed a hand to her chest and opened her eyes to find solace among the stars. The prince had changed in a way that left Aurora uneasy. Whereas Phillip had been sweet and kind when they had first met, he now appeared impatient and irritable on his visits.

Unwilling to give heed to the disheartening suspicions of one of her handmaidens, Aurora had decided to give the prince the benefit of a doubt. He was her friend, after all, and perhaps there was something else plaguing his mind.

"Maleficent…," she whispered again, softer this time, the syllables merely caressing her lips.

Aurora longed for the fairy's presence, and fresh tears ran down her cheeks as she kept trying to think of ways to sneak out of the castle. Maleficent wasn't exactly fond of humans, but she still often helped Aurora to make sense of human behaviour where Aurora's royal advisors would turn away in puzzlement or shame.

"I wish you were here."

If only this place did not hold such painful memories for Maleficent. The fairy remained wary of enclosed spaces and the iron inside the walls and inside some of the humans' hearts.

There was no use fretting. Aurora had to just hold on a few more days before she could see Maleficent again. She was a queen, and at twenty-one years of age no longer a child. Being separated from one's Fairy Godmother was supposed to become easier as one matured, not harder. But scolding herself internally did nothing to ease the slow burning in her heart.

One more time Aurora gazed at the Rowan tree in the distant darkness, thinking of Maleficent. She knew she had to go to bed soon, for she was so very tired and the exhaustion would show in her face in the morning. Her eyes already played tricks on her, because for a moment it had seemed as though… but no, that could not be.

Could it?

She leaned forward and searched the sky again.

There, faintly illuminated by moonlight, a figure with large wings quickly drew closer, and Aurora's heart jumped in her chest at the sight.

The majestic approach of the fairy in flight never failed to take Aurora's breath away, and she smiled brightly as Maleficent landed right beside her. For a moment they just looked at one another, before, wordlessly, Aurora stepped forward and into a welcoming embrace.

"Hello, little Beastie," was whispered before gentle lips grazed her temple.

**II.**

Aurora felt herself grow lighter, as if all the heavy worries on her mind simply flowed down and into nothingness while Maleficent held her close. Warm hands rubbed circles on her back, and she could still feel the tingling of a soft breath where lips lingered against her hair.

No, she was no longer a child, but this closeness was what she craved.

She pressed her face against the older woman's neck and tightened her arms around her middle.

"Are you all right?" Maleficent asked concerned.

"I am now," said Aurora, mouth lightly brushing against the fairy's throat as she spoke.

They remained in their embrace, swaying with the gentle breeze, arms firm, but fingers lightly stroking over the fabrics of their gowns.

"How did you know?" Aurora asked, and Maleficent pulled back her head to look at the queen's face.

"Know what?" She replied, one of her hands moving up to cradle the back of Aurora's head.

"That I needed you."

Maleficent looked at her then with that gleam in her eyes that told Aurora she was adored beyond all measure. A gentle thumb wiped away the remaining tears on Aurora's cheeks, and the fairy tilted her head to the side, taking her time to contemplate her answer.

After a short moment she replied, "I just… _knew_."

Aurora didn't think it a proper explanation, and she furrowed her eyebrows in question.

"When I saw you walk out here tonight," the fairy tried to elaborate, "I just knew I had to come to you."

"I can't explain it," she added, gaze leaving Aurora's face and settling somewhere on the horizon.

The reality of her dearest friend racing through the night just to be there for her set Aurora's heart alight. And overcome with the rush of happiness coursing through her body she giggled and gave Maleficent's waist another tight squeeze.

"Well, I'm very glad that you are here," she said, and Maleficent smiled at her again and gave a subtle nod.

"Wait," the young queen suddenly recalled the fairy's words. "You can see me all the way from your tree?"

She turned around to look back at the cliff at the edge of the Moors, squinting her eyes, but unable to make out any more details in the darkness.

"My eyes had years of practice," Maleficent spoke from behind her while placing a hand on her shoulder. "They always find you."

Aurora shivered, and for a short while she thought strong wings would wrap around her in comfort, as they sometimes did. To her disappointment, though, the feathers remained just out of reach, almost as if their owner had changed her mind at the last moment.

"Do you watch me every night?" Aurora wondered, thinking back over the past few years where somewhere along the way saying goodnight to the Moors had become an important part of her nighttime routine.

The hand on her shoulder gently squeezed.

"Yes."

That single word comforted Aurora more than any walls of stone and iron ever could. It made her feel safe and cherished, and relieved she turned around to embrace the fairy once more.

"Were you not aware?" Maleficent asked, fingers stroking through Aurora's hair. "I often felt as if you saw me as well."

"I could not see you with my eyes," the young queen mumbled while resting the side of her head against Maleficent's shoulder. "But I always imagined you sitting in your tree. I hoped that you would look at the castle and think of me, as I thought of you."

"Always, little Beastie."

They remained standing for a while, the fairy seemingly content to indulge in Aurora's need for physical contact.

A stillness lay over the kingdom, only stirred by the calls of an owl from the castle tower and the occasional snorting of horses from the stables below. As Aurora closed her eyes and breathed in the fairy's earthy scent, she could almost pretend they were back in the Moors.

"Will you tell me what pains you?" Maleficent said, tone cautious as to not pressure her.

Aurora released her hold on the fairy and stepped back, plaqued by sudden insecurity. What if Maleficent thought her childish for becoming so emotional over not seeing her for a mere few weeks? Aurora did not want to seem immature, for having the fairy regard her as an adult had become of inexplicable importance.

"I…," she looked down at her hands which had begun to fidget. "I think my responsibilities for the kingdom have just overwhelmed me tonight. And I feel so… tired..," she trailed off, her mind seeking words that would speak of her worries, yet would not betray her loneliness.

"There are voices within the council who think it unwise for me to rule on my own for much longer. They have begun to increasingly question my decisions, especially regarding the mines and taxations, and I often find myself trapped in long arguments that leave me utterly exhausted. I know I should be grateful for all I have been given… I just…"

She inhaled, her breath shaky as all of the anxious thoughts twisted into a cold, hard ball inside her stomach.

"Aurora."

A single finger tenderly pulled up her chin and her gaze found eyes shining in the moonlight.

"Such is the world of men," the fairy stroked her finger along Aurora's jaw, as her expression saddened. "And as their queen you may have some power, but it comes at the cost of your freedom."

Maleficent cupped her cheek, and Aurora could sense that the fairy mourned for the happy, and carefree child she had once been. It almost appeared as if Maleficent was afraid of losing Aurora to the humans and their greed.

"What if this is a life I do not wish to lead?" Aurora whispered while leaning into the older woman's touch.

She wanted to say more and speak of the promise they had once made to live at the Moors together and take care of one another. But she could not bring the words from her mouth, for once voiced, they would undo her completely.

"Sweet Aurora," Maleficent said then, a tiny smile returning to her lips. "You always have a choice. And it is yours to make; not your father's, not the kingdom's,… and not mine."

"But wouldn't me giving up the throne endanger the Moors?" The queen asked, heart racing from the reality of even discussing this.

"Perhaps."

"And what about the people who were starving under my father's reign? Would they not fare better if I stayed?"

"Perhaps."

"You will not help me make this decision?"

"No."

Although she knew that the fairy was right, and she did appreciate the gesture as one of genuine trust, Aurora wanted to pout. Before she could purse her lips, however, they were pulled apart by a large yawn that inelegantly cracked the joints of her jaw.

Her hands flew to her mouth and she felt a warm blush crawl over her cheeks as the older woman chuckled.

"Now is not the time to break your head over such things, little Beastie."

Maleficent stroked the back of her fingers across Aurora's cheek.

"Sleep. Tomorrow will be another day."

Aurora felt a flutter of panic. She was not ready for Maleficent to leave her again so soon.

"Stay with me tonight," she blurted out, and her fingers grasped Maleficent's arm. "Please."

The fairy's eyes moved to the balcony doors and the bed that lay in the room beyond as she considered the request.

"You don't have to come inside. We can stay out here," Aurora pressed on.

She knew Maleficent was still not at ease within the castle grounds, and she felt horrible for asking such a favour. But returning to the Moors together would take too long, due to the weight of an extra person preventing Maleficent from flying at the speed required to bridge such a long distance before dawn.

Before Aurora could lose hope, Maleficent flicked her wrist and a stream of golden dust swirled from her fingertips and disappeared behind the curtains. Shortly thereafter an assembly of pillows and blankets came floating from Aurora's chamber onto the balcony and fell into an inviting pile that much resembled a nest.

"Come," Maleficent held out her hand, and once Aurora had reached for it she pulled the young queen toward their bed under the stars.

**III.**

On those few occasions in the past where she had been able to spend the night at the Moors Aurora had often fallen asleep curled up against Maleficent at the moss-covered foot of the Rowan tree. Those nights were her favorite, as she'd felt safe and whole, and her sleep had been restful and deep.

Maybe the peace Aurora had felt on those nights had been due to the familiar, soothing sounds of the moorlands, or perhaps it had been the absence of iron walls and hardheaded council members.

As she lowered herself onto the blanket on her balcony floor, though, Aurora sensed that her happiness had possibly more to do with the smiling fairy who now reclined against a pillow and reached for her with welcoming arms.

Gladly, Aurora crawled into the embrace and lay down comfortably beside Maleficent.

"Thank you," she whispered into the fairy's shoulder, "for staying here with me."

"It's nothing," Maleficent replied modestly as she pulled Aurora close and pressed soft lips to her forehead.

"Sleep now, my queen," she spoke then, her voice cracking just a little, and Aurora closed her eyes and smiled.

"Goodnight, Maleficent."

"Goodnight, Aurora."

The fairy's left wing closed loosely around the pair much like a blanket, and Aurora thought to herself that, whether she was in the Moors or at the castle, being in Maleficent's arms was definitely the best way to fall asleep.

Except that for some reason on this of all nights sleep decided to elude her.

Words and images from the long day gathered behind her eyelids like the lively crowd of a busy marketplace, and Aurora had trouble calming her mind as one thought shouted louder for her attention than the other. She envisioned the men of her council pacing in the halls with subdued anger, while handmaidens disapprovingly lowered their gaze at her reservations regarding the prince.

Unable to sort through the chaos in her mind, she opened her eyes and gazed up, past the castle wall and into the night. Observing the stars gave her a moment of peace, but soon the thoughts returned, trickling back into her head like small streams that gradually flowed together into a deafening waterfall.

Frustrated with herself, Aurora turned onto her side, careful to not wake the fairy who still had an arm draped around her waist. Maleficent's face remained still, her breath deep and even, and Aurora realised that this was the first time she saw the fairy sleep.

Moonlight bathed Maleficent's pale skin in silver, and the thick plumage of her wing was gently ruffled by the night breeze and sparkled so very similar to the distant foliage of the moorland trees. Aurora felt the urge to stroke through the feathers, but as she raised her hand she paused, unwilling to touch such an intimate part of someone while they were unconscious.

It caused her to think back to the night of her sixteenth birthday, when trying to help awaken her from the curse of eternal sleep the three pixies, whom she had until then only known as her aunties, had brought several young men to her bed to kiss her. Although she remembered nothing of her time asleep, Aurora was not keen on the idea of these strangers—even her friend Prince Phillip—having touched their lips to hers without her knowledge or consent.

Feeling increasingly uncomfortable, Aurora shifted her weight and tried to stretch out her legs.

Her aunties hadn't thought much of it, and had only hoped to break the spell with true love's kiss. But such a thing did not exist. How could it, when Aurora knew that she would never love a boy or man more than she loved Maleficent?

She lowered her hand and returned her gaze to the sleeping fairy's face. Aurora was sure nobody else would ever make her feel as happy as Maleficent did, and the thought that she was expected to soon find a man to take as king and share her bed with absolutely repulsed her.

Why couldn't she have been born a boy? Then nobody would frown upon her love for walking in the Moors, and neither would she need to search for a suitable queen. As her eyes found the fairy's slightly parted lips, Aurora realised that in such a case she would have already found the woman she would wish to marry.

At that her heart began to beat rather wildly in her chest, and she turned her face upward to let the night wind soothe the unexpected heat on her cheeks. Her body felt at once awake, as if a hundred bees swarmed beneath her skin, all flying to her pounding head, and Aurora shifted her hips to try and shake off the startling sensation.

"Will you stop wriggling like a little worm!" Maleficent suddenly spoke.

Her eyes remained shut, but a tiny smirk tugged at the corners of her mouth. The arm that had been draped around Aurora's side now slid across her middle, and cheeky fingers began tickling her belly.

Instead of distracting her with its silliness, however, the gesture only worsened Aurora's bewildering state. With a sudden need for air, the young queen shrugged off the wing blanket and sat up.

"Aurora?" Maleficent asked, her voice filled with concern.

A hand was placed upon the young queen's shoulder and its warmth burned through the fabric of her dress.

"Aurora, what's wrong?"

The fairy sat up as well, and Aurora felt guilty for making her worry.

"I'm sorry," she replied quietly, hands pressed against her chest where her heart still hammered against her ribs.

"There are just… so many thoughts inside my head…"

Maleficent did not respond, and for a while Aurora heard nothing but the pounding pulse in her ears.

Why did she feel so embarrassed and restless at the idea of marrying her dearest friend? It was rather silly, as, in any case, Aurora had _not_ been born a boy, and the laws forbade betrothals between two women. So there was no reason to grow this attached to the thought of being with only Maleficent forever. And yet the idea refused to be shackled, and it slowly merged with the promise they had made five years ago, leaving Aurora with the picture of the most perfect life she could ever imagine.

Gentle fingers reached for her chin to turn around her face, and although she was afraid her heart might not survive looking at Maleficent just then, Aurora instinctively met the fairy's worried gaze.

Instead of unsettling her further, though, she felt calmness spread through her body as she looked into eyes full of affection and tenderness. She realised then that it wasn't odd at all to think of marrying Maleficent, for they would make each other very happy.

"It's all right to sometimes feel anxious, Aurora. To worry, and to think of solutions for that which troubles you," Maleficent spoke softly, her thumb stroking along Aurora's jaw.

"Even if those solutions are nothing but a silly dream?" The young queen mumbled in reply, her eyes darting to the side.

"A silly dream?! You can do anything you wish, my queen," the fairy stated, and when Aurora dared to look back there was pride and conviction in Maleficent's gaze.

"But…," Aurora was hesitant to hope, "it cannot be that easy."

"I did not say it would be easy. Every choice you make will have consequences," Maleficent said, and her tone had an edge to it. Aurora knew she spoke of the curse.

"You revoked the curse, though," she replied, her hand sliding down the fairy's arm to grasp her hand. "You took it back, and you helped defeat a mad king and unite two lands in the process."

It was Maleficent's turn to look away then, but she held on to Aurora's hand, thumb gently stroking Aurora's palm.

"This can't just be about the iron mines or taxes," she suddenly returned the focus of the conversation to Aurora. "What is it tonight, that has you so restless?"

Not quite sure how to begin, the young queen used her unoccupied hand to distractedly play with the long, flowing sleeve of Maleficent's dress.

"One of the handmaidens has insinuated that…" she faltered, searching for the right words.

"It appears as though… I might have misjudged Prince Phillip's intentions, and that instead of being content with our friendship, he wishes for my hand."

Maleficent's thumb stilled, her lowered gaze resting on their joined hands.

"Has he asked you?"

"No, but from what I have heard it seems likely that he might."

Silence stretched between them, and Aurora grew concerned when Maleficent would not look at her.

"Do you love him?" The fairy asked.

"No… not the way that I…,"_ love you,_ Aurora almost said.

"He is my friend. I wish for nothing more to happen," she then managed.

"And besides, he could not wake me from my deathlike sleep. None of them could." She shuddered at the memory, and Maleficent moved her wings so they would shield her from the night breeze that felt no longer mild.

"True Love does not exist," Aurora continued. "Perhaps I'm simply not meant to find a husband."

A part of her longed for Maleficent to agree, and, by that, enabling and supporting her to at least remain an unwed queen.

"Aurora…" Maleficent said, voice wavering. "I did not revoke the curse. I have tried, already many months before your sixteenth birthday, but it could not be undone."

"W-what are you saying?"

The dream of not having to marry a man she didn't love began to crumble. Had Phillip's kiss awoken her after all?

Maleficent looked into her eyes then, and Aurora was gripped by the intensity of her gaze.

"That night, I came to say goodbye. And it broke my heart to see the reality of what I had done to you."

Tears welled up in the fairy's eyes.

"I kissed you." Her fingers fluttered against Aurora's temple. "Here…"

"And then I woke up…" Aurora finished for her, mouth slackened in disbelief.

Maleficent nodded, a single tear rolling down the sharp lines of her face.

Aurora wasn't sure yet what to make of all of this, but her chest ached at seeing the fairy so upset.

"Why didn't you tell me?" She asked softly.

"Because I had no right." Maleficent said with a sniffle, gaze returning to Aurora's hand that she still held.

"I had no right to interfere in the course of your life any more than I already had. I wanted you to find love on your own; to live your life on your own. I wanted for you to make your own decisions and find happiness without the help of magic."

"But you're my… _True Love,_" the young queen reasoned, tasting the beautiful truth on her tongue as she spoke the words.

"Yes."

Maleficent looked at her then as if she begged for forgiveness, as if she had done something far worse than cursing a baby in a blind rush of betrayal and anger. As if she had taken something that wasn't hers to take.

And Aurora understood.

"Maleficent…"

She reached for the fairy's face and gently wiped away her tears, allowing her hand to linger and cup a sculpted cheek.

"For as long as I remember, my only wish has been to be with you. That has never changed."

She bit her bottom lip as more and more pieces fell into place.

"In fact, my longing for you has only grown in recent years. And I tried to be strong…." She laughed. "A queen should not miss her Fairy Godmother this terribly."

A raised eyebrow was her only response, but the light had returned to Maleficent's eyes and Aurora felt her lean ever so slightly into the touch of her palm.

"I do not need to find love, because it's always been here."

Aurora gestured between the two of them.

"My happiness lies with _you_."

Maleficent moved her mouth as if to protest, but Aurora placed a finger against her lips.

"I know now, what choices I have to make," she said as the warm breath against her finger began to distract her.

"I wish to live at the Moors with you… If you will have me."

For a while she watched love and guilt battle within Maleficent.

But then the fairy smiled, and she ever so carefully pressed her lips against Aurora's finger in a lingering kiss. It was the very finger Aurora had pricked on the spindle five years ago, and the mouth that had onced cursed her, now filled her with warmth and a curious tingly sensation that slowly spread from her arm until it sunk low into her abdomen.

"I will."

_Fin_


End file.
